Vintage Connor: The Blonde in the Lotus Elite by Robert Baty

Ray Connor is a former police officer living in Oakland, California and dealing in vintage cars. He drives an Alfa Romeo and is an expert in classic cars. He is the person to look to if you are a collector wanting to buy a classic car.

When a cab pulls up and Evie steps out, he is immediately drawn back into the past. Evie is a woman that Connor was in love with twenty years ago and he has never gotten over the fact that she walked out on him. Now she is back in his life and seeking his help. Evie’s daughter Janey is dead. Connor didn’t even know that Evie had a daughter and now he is to investigate her death. Janey’s death has been ruled a suicide but Evie refuses to believe that her daughter would kill herself.

Janey died in Monterey so that is where Connor begins. Connor calls on his ex-partner Vince Hendrix for assistance in tracking down some information. When Connor begins his investigation, he finds that Janey’s death is looking more like murder than suicide. It not only appears that there has been a big cover-up in the facts surrounding Janey’s death, Connor also begins to feel that Evie may be covering up some facts about the case – facts that he needs to know.

Connor’s investigation takes him into dangerous territory and there are some close calls before he actually uncovers the truth. Connor is never sure that Evie will even be around when he finally breaks the case.

Robert Baty has written an exciting mystery novel that I hope will just be the first one in a series of Connor stories.